The Sweetness of a Slumbering Child

We had a hard day. Kiara hit Kate. Kiara went to time out. Kiara came out of time out. Kiara hit Mom. Kiara went to time out. Mom got very, very frustrated as her toddler continued to be aggressive and downright mean. Mom cried on the phone to her husband. Mom yelled. She did not know what to do. She had never been the mother to a dramatic 4-year-old before! Mom went back to Kiara's room, talked about why she was feeling sad, read her several stories, gave her many hugs, and told her how much she loved her. Amazingly her sweet Kiara returned! Sometimes Mom feels so dense for forgetting to shower her love on her daughters. She makes many, many mistakes.

It's amazing how differently you feel about your child when you watch them in peaceful slumber. All frustration is swept away and replaced with pure love. I snuck into Kiara's room tonight and knelt by her bed. I was so overcome with love for her that I sobbed. I saw Kiara for who she is and not the attention-needy toddler I see in the day. She had her little white lamb clutched in one hand and her hair wrapped tightly around the finger on her other hand. The moment felt sacred to me as I felt gratitude for the privilege of being her mother. I always thought I would name my first child Hannah, so when we had hard times I could recall the words of Hannah in the Old Testament, "For this child hath I prayed." For you, Kiara, I prayed. Now, Lord, help me to be deserving of the blessings I have received!

Check It Out

Sometimes other people's talents are so inspiring! Jon Schmidt is one of those talented people. If you have never been to one of his concerts, it is a must see. Here's one of his latest videos.